The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1887-01-06
The Corn Supply.

The understanding Of the trade in
corn seems to be undergoing a radical
change in regard to the question of
supply. There was a considerable ex-
citement early in the summer, due to
the belief that the crop of this year
would prove to be a very short one, but
il gradually died out with an increasing
conviction that the surplus from the
last crop would be amply sufficient to
make anaends for the deficiency. Now
the sentiment is again changing. The
disposition is to think the crop has been
considerably overestimated by the stat
istitians, and that it is really. poor all
w the corn belt except in Ohio and
Indiana, which states have been ship
ping very freely to the east for the Last
lew weeks. !
The receipts at this point were light,
with very little prospect of all increase
at present prices. The figures now
offered are not attractive to. the holders
in the country, especially not to those
whotcan obtain several cents per bushel
more by selling to feeders near home
oE farther west than by sending it
hither. The, surplus of Kansas and
western Nebraska is going to Texas
and the cattle ranches of the west, un-
usually large quantities being wanted
ITO complement the lack of grass feed
owing to the !dryness of the summer
season. 1T is now reported that a buy
ser's option during November was pur-
chased or vast quantities OF corn in
cribs along the western roads. and that
i'm most cases the buyers have elected
ito take the corn, which accounts for
sthe extra demand witnessed in this
market within the last few days. Pco-
:ple who have surveyed the situation
with experienced eyes express the opin-
ion that the four states which have in
.other years stood at the head IN regard
ito co%rn-raising will be found this year
ito have a little more than enough for
home needs. No one can deny that the
recent weather has been favorable to
the marketing of corn freely, or that
what there is of it is generally cured
into fine. condition for the season. If
holders wanted Ito sell at the prices
sotfered they have NO lacked the oppor-
;tunity.
1t will probably be found that the
country rs a whole has enough corn to
.ytide it over till the time comes round
for gathering another crop. If thelatest
government estimate is considered too
large by as much as 25O,000, 900 bushels,
lit will still leave a'quantity raised this
year equal to that which used to be al
lowed in the estimate for the current
consumption of the United States dur
ing twelve months, with the surplus
from 1885 as a. reserve fund to be drawn
upon for extras. But those extras ap-
pear to be much larger this year than
the average of past seasons. There are
more live stock to be fed, and all the
more as a great many cattle and hogs
are kept back on account of the strike,
while they were already fattened up to
4 stage from which they would rapidly
deteriorate unless kept well supplied
with corn. The two sides of the question
would there appear to be evenly bal.
aneed around the conclusion that the
country has corn enough and very
little to spare. Whether or not it is
worth while, under such conditions, for
holders to keep on selling it at prices
which pay little more than the freight
to the shipper is for the parties con-
.cerned to decide.-Chicago Tribune.